USA > Vermont > Addison County > Gazetteer and business directory of Addison County, Vt., for 1881- 82 > Part 24
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TOWN OF SALISBURY.
one others, in sixty-eight shares, and said to contain an area six miles square, or 23,040 acres, bounded in the charter deed as follows :-
" Beginning at the southwesterly corner of Middlebury, at a tree standing on the bank of the easterly side of Otter Creek and turning from thence east by Middlebury to the southeast corner thereof. Thence turning off, and turning south ten degrees west, six miles and sixty-four rods. From thence turning off and turning west to Otter Creek aforesaid. Thence down said Creek, as that runs, to the bounds first above mentioned."
The town of Leicester was also given about the same amount of territory, but after the towns on the north and south of them were located and bounded, it was found that only about eight miles were left between Middlebury and Brandon, on which to locate the two towns ; each claimed six miles, leaving the other but two, this creating much disturbance in the disputed territory for a number of years, until April 18, 1796, when the following committee, John Smith, Benjamin Garfield, Joseph Woodward, Eleazer Claghorn, Salathiel Bump, Stephen Hard, Holland Weeks, and Elias Kelsey, the three first from Leicester, and the others from Salisbury, were chosen to adjust the conflicting claims of the two towns. This committee reported on a line so described that each town would have a tract about four miles in width. The report was accepted by both, and harmony restored, giving to each about 16,000 acres. November 1, 1832, a part of the town was annexed to Ripton, consisting of a strip of land sixty rods wide and nine hundred rods long. It was also found that Middlebury had appropriated more land than belonged to it, and accordingly, a portion was returned to Salisbury in 1786. These constitute all the changes made in the area of the township.
The surface of the country, in the western part of the town, is very moun- tainous and rugged, covered with a heavy growth of timber, and affording scenery in some localities that is pronounced grand. The principal eleva- tions are: Mount Bryant, Snake Point, Sunset Hill and Moosalamoo Moun- tain, the latter, several miles in length, with an altitude of about 2,000 feet. The central and western portions are quite level, and along Otter Creek and in the southern part, covered with a large area of swamp land well stocked with timber, which, when reclaimed, makes very valuable meadows. A small area of swamp land is also found in the northern part, where Middlebury River cuts into the township for a short distance. Near the streams, the soil is principally a rich alluvial deposit, while that of the low lands or swamps is a muck, resting on a clay subsoil, varying from a few inches to several feet in depth. The higher or ridge lands are nearly equally divided into clay and loam. This variety of soil, with an atmosphere tempered by the mountains, renders the production of all grain, etc., indigenous to the State, not only pos- sible, but with less care and labor than is needed in some other towns of the county. The whole territory was originally covered with a heavy growth of pine, oak, beech, maple, basswood, birch, elm, ash, cedar and walnut. Lum- bering has made great inroads upon this forest, but there yet remains a large amount of timber, which, when prepared for market, is very valuable, and the
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TOWN OF SALISBURY.
excellent mill-sites afforded by the several streams, renders its manufacture an important item in the industries of the township. The principal streams are Leicester and Middlebury Rivers and Otter Creek. Leicester River rises in Lake Dunmore, flows a southwesterly course through the village, into Leicester on the south. Otter Creek forms the entire western boundary of the town. Middlebury River extends through about a mile of the northern part of the town where it turns and re-enters Middlebury. Numerous springs, some of which are of an unusual size, and others impregnated with medicinal properties, are found throughout the township, while Lake Dunmore, lying partly in Leicester, the largest body of water in the county, renowned for its beautiful scenery and historical interest, is visited by numerous pleasure seek- ers each season. The rocks are principally of the limestone formation, affording, in some localities, quarries of excellent marble. Iron ore exists to some extent, but not in sufficient quantities to warrant its manufacture. The Central Vermont R. R. passes through the entire western portion of the town, with a station at West Salisbury.
In 1880, the township had a population of 775, was divided into seven school districts and had five common schools, employing three male and seven female teachers at an aggregate salary of $598.56. There were 348 pupils attending school, and the entire cost of the schools for the year ending Octo- ber 31st, was $705.20, with Mr. O. M. Bump, superintendent.
SALISBURY, a post village located in the southern part of the town on Leices- ter River, contains one church (Congregational), a school-house, one store, grist-mill, saw-mill, two blacksmith shops, a wagon-shop, two hotels, and nearly 150 inhabitants.
WEST SALISBURY, a post village and station on the C. V. R. R., located in the western part of the town, contains one church (Methodist), one store, a wagon-shop, blacksmith shop, and about a score of dwellings.
Newton & Thompson's saw-mill, erected by the present owners in 1864, manufactures 600,000 feet of lumber per annum.
David H. Lamorder's carriage shop located off road 21, does a general repairing business, also builds six new wagons per year.
The Salisbury grist-mill, owned by William Belknap of Middlebury, and operated by Nelson Stone, has two runs of stones and does mostly custom work.
Salisbury Woolen Mills, now owned and operated by Chester Kingsley, for the manufacture of woolen cloth, were built by Henry Walker in 1842, and purchased by Mr. Kingsley in 1859.
The Salisbury Pulp Mills were established by the present proprietors, Kingsley Bros., in 1879, and have facilities for manufacturing one ton of wood pulp per day.
The Dunmore Pulp Co's Mills, located at Salisbury village, now owned by Kingsley Bros., was formerly owned by Geo. R. Hope and used as a spool factory. It has the capacity for manufacturing two tons of wood pulp per
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TOWN OF SALISBURY.
day, and it is the intention of the firm to eventually commence here the manu- facture of paper.
The Salisbury Manufacturing Co., a stock company, engaged in the manu- facture of lumber, on Leicester River, have mills built in 1869, with the capacity for turning out 6,000 feet of lumber, 10,000 shingles, and 2,000 lath per day.
At the foot of Lake Dunmore, opposite Snake Point, is situated the Dun- more House, an elegant summer hotel. A more wild and beautiful spot could scarcely be imagined for one to pass the summer months. To the north, distant but a few hundred rods, is Mount Bryant ; to the east, just across the lake, Moosalamoo Mountain and Snake Point tower aloft, with rocky cedar-grown sides, while the westward looking eye is met by Sunset Hill, car- rying with dignity its romantic name. The high bluff upon which the house is situated is laved in the clear, cold depths of the water of the lake, the natural home of the trout. The hotel, owned by Mr. Frederick Kopper, is under the management of Robert Dinwiddie. On the eastern side of the lake is another fine hotel, called the Cascade House, Loyal Kelsey, proprietor, within easy distance of Ethan Allen's Cave, Lana Cascade, and other interest- ing points, and is much resorted to by tourists.
Agreeable to the provisions and requirements of their charter, the proprie- tors held their first meeting at Salisbury, Conn., on the first Tuesday in Janu- ary, 1762. Josiah Stodard was chosen clerk, and Elias Reed, Alexander Gaston and Nathaniel Buel, selectmen. A tax of nine shillings on each pro- prietor was imposed to defray expenses up to that time, when the meeting was adjourned to the second Tuesday of the following March. At this adjourned meeting, held at the house of John Evarts, it was " voted that Nathaniel Buel be a committee for lotting out the town into first and second divisions, and that a tax of nine shillings be laid on each proprietor to defray the expense of doing it." Mr. Buel entered immediately upon the duties of his office, em- ployed Samuel Moore to do the surveying, and soon after returned to the proprietors' clerk a plan of the survey. This plan, which included all the present town of Leicester, after much controversy, law suits and hard feelings, was finally amicably adjusted, as heretofore described.
The first settler was Joshua Graves, in 1774. Amos Story made a begin- ning and built a log house during the same year ; but the house was burned, and he was killed by the fall of a tree. On February 22d of the following year, his widow, with six children, came into town, being the second family, and received the proprietors' bounty, one hundred acres of land, she being the first female settler. The third family was that of Abe Waterous, whose widow, after his death, married Major Christopher Johnson, she dying in 1850, aged ninety years. Mrs. Story married Benjamin Smalley, one of the first settlers of Middlebury, and after his death, Captain Stephen Goodrich, the first chosen selectman of Middlebury. Only one of the original grantees ever settled in the township. Immigration was rapid until the troubled times of the Revolution, when many left their farms. The town was organized March
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TOWN OF SALISBURY.
17, 1788, with Eleazer Claghorn, clerk; Eleazer Claghorn, Stephen Hard and James Waterous, selectmen ; James Bradley, treasurer, and Stephen Hard, representative. There were then, in what now constitutes the town, fifty-five families, and this number increased so rapidly that three years afterwards, at the taking of the first census, in 1791, the town had a population of 446 persons.
The first child born in the town was Joshua, son of Chauncey Graves, born July 9, 1785. He was a grandson of the first settler, Joshua Graves, and married Phobe Beach. The first death, except that of Amos Story already mentioned, was that of Mrs. Joel Newton, who died May 2, 1785. A Mr. Smith, however, died of fever, on what is known as the Kelsey farm, in 1776, the said farm then being claimed within the territory of Leicester, but afterwards annexed to Salisbury. His death may, perhaps, be considered as the first of the town. The greatest age attained by any resident of the town was that of Mrs. Holt, who died in her 103d year. The first cider-mill was built in 1803, by Jesse Graves, upon the farm now owned by Columbus Smith. Cider was then valued at $5 per barrel. Tradition says that the old Larkins house, now occupied by Andrew Wainwright, was the first framed house built in the town ; at least, it is over one hundred years old. Col. Thomas Sawyer built the first grist-mill. He was six weeks felling the timber, during which time his bread was baked in Clarendon and brought to him on horseback. This was located where the village now is, and then supposed to be within the limits of Leices- ter. When Col. Sawyer found that the territory belonged to Salisbury, he was so disappointed that he sold the property and emigrated to the west. Sixty years ago the village is said to have done twice the business of Brandon, which has since so outstripped it. The first store was kept by Joel Brooks, and in 1809, there were two hotels in town, one kept by a Mr. Kilburn and the other by Mr. Lindsley. In 1809, a shovel factory was built here, which, for a time, did a good business. On the farm of John Foot is found the ruins of three very old houses, also of an old tannery. The stone used for grinding the bark now forms the doorstep to the residence of Zera Scott, on road 16. Mr. Scott's farm was settled by Oliver Whitney, from Ashbury, Mass., at an early date. The first dancing-party was held at the house of Holland Weeks, October 9, 1794, on the wedding of Henry Keeler and Patty Story. The first military company was organized in 1788, with William Pratt, captain, Abe Waterous, lieutenant, and Joel Newton, ensign.
In 1777, Mr. Graves and his son, Solomon, and a boy fourteen years old, were captured by the Indians and taken to Montreal, where the Indians de- manded bounty for them. This was refused and they were allowed to depart in peace, reaching home in about three weeks. They then left their farm, went to Rutland, and did not return until after the war, in 1783.
Gamaliel Kelsey came to Salisbury in 1779, locating upon the farm now owned by his son, John J. Kelsey. John J. has occupied the place during the period of seventy years.
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TOWN OF SALISBURY.
Salathiel Bump, a revolutionary soldier from Duchess County, N. Y., set- tled in Salisbury in 1790, locating near the place now occupied by Franklin Bump. He raised a family of eleven children, was sent to the Legislature as town representative several times, and held various other town offices. He died in 1842, aged eighty-two years. His son, Franklin, now seventy-eight years of age, has held nearly every office within the gift of the town, was re- turned to the Legislature in 1842, '43, '54 and '56. Cyrus Bump was born on the old homestead in 1797, and still occupies a portion of the old place, the oldest native of the town now living, at the age of eighty-five years.
Joshua Graves, the first settler, located on road 1, upon the farm now owned by his grandson, Columbus Smith, where he built the first house in town, of logs. Columbus was born on this farm in 1819, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1847; since then he has become quite noted as an European collector. He vis- ited Europe for the first time for the purpose of making "SHARD VILLA," Residence of COLUMBUS SMITH, West Salisbury, Vt. (Clinton Smith, Architect.) collections, in 1844, since which time he has crossed the ocean sixteen times, and resided in Europe fifteen years. In 1872-'74, he built his present beautiful residence, "Shard villa,"-one of the finest in the State. Mr. Smith married Harriet Jones, and isthe father of two children, William J. C., who died in June, 1881, and Mary Elizabeth.
Amos Story, with his son, Solomon, commenced a clearing adjoining Mr. Graves' during the year 1774, built a log house and intended to move his family here in 1775, when the accident resulting in his death occurred, as previously stated. Mrs. Story came on with her children and occupied the house till 1776, when it was burned, together with Mr. Graves', by the In- dians. Mrs. Story built another house on the site of the old one, and subse- quently dug a cave in the bank of the creek where they lived till discovered by the Tories, and which is still known as Mrs. Story's cave. In the early part of 1777, she removed to Rutland, and worked summers on her farm. She married Capt. Stephen Goodrich, of Middlebury, in 1812, and died April 5, 1817, aged seventy-five years.
Ebenezer H. Weeks, father of John E. Weeks, was born in this town in 1812, on the farm now occupied by his son. He cleared up one of the finest farms in the town, and after he became of age there was scarcely a year he did not hold some office of trust. He was town clerk fifteen consecutive
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TOWN OF SALISBURY.
years, and representative two terms, and also served as side judge. He died in Brandon in 1881.
John M. Weeks, father of John E., and author of the History of Salisbury, was born in Litchfield, Conn., May 22, 1788, and removed with his parents to Salisbury in 1789. Mr. Weeks, though devoted to agricultural pursuits, was a great student, a quiet thoughtful man, and possessed of considerable ability, as a perusal of the above mentioned work will testify. After a long and useful life he died here, in August, 1858.
Dan Daniels, born in Massachusetts, in 1773, came to Salisbury with his father, Samuel, in 1776; but the Indians proved so troublesome that the women and children had to be sent back to Massachusetts. Samuel remained and was killed at the siege of Shelburne Block-house, March 12, 1778. Dan afterwards came on and cleared the farm now owned by Augustus Daniels.
Jabez Spencer, from New Haven, Conn., located in West Salisbury in 1807. He was an old Revolutionary soldier, and had a family of twelve chil- dren, all of whom, except one daughter, are now dead.
Reuben Saxton held the office of town clerk twenty-nine successive years, beginning in 1799, and also represented the town twenty-seven times.
John M. Dyer, of West Salisbury, was born in Clarendon, Vt., March 9, 1828, and came to this town in 1832. He is an extensive farmer and dealer in real estate, owning about one thousand acres of land, also the Dyer block in Middlebury and the Dyer block in Vergennes. He represented the town in 1859, '60, '61, and '62, and was in the Senate in '67 and '68.
Eugene A. Hamilton, an ex-officer of the .war of the Union (see roster), was engaged in mercantile pursuits in Brandon village for a number of years, and in the same business in Salisbury for a period of fourteen years. He was selectman of this town six years, town clerk three, and trial justice six years.
William Wainwright, father of Andrew D., was born in New Haven, Conn., October 24, 1779, and removed to Salisbury in 1801, and about two years after his arrival here located upon the farm now occupied by Andrew D., where he died in 1858, aged seventy-nine years. Mr. Wainwright was an en- terprising man and took a prominent part in public affairs. Andrew D. was born on the old homestead in 1828.
William R. Ellis came to Salisbury in 1849, locating where he now resides, near road 24, and is extensively engaged in fruit growing. He married Eliza A. Lovett, and resides on the farm originally settled upon by her father.
Samuel Taylor, from Litchfield, Conn., settled in Salisbury at an early day, upon the farm now the estate of F. L. Dyer, where he engaged in farming. He had a family of ten children, five sons and five daughters. The sons were, Stephen, Adolphus, Daniel, Samuel, and Horace. Of the daughters, Betsey married Isaac Noyes ; Sally married Harvey Bump; Lucinda, a Mr. Eaton, of New York ; Annis, James Garlin, of Addison, and Hannah, Tru- man Carpenter, of Vergennes. Samuel, the only son living, now resides in
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TOWN OF SHOREHAM.
Weybridge, at the age of eighty-three years. His son, H. E. Taylor, resides in Cornwall, where he is an extensive dealer in sheep and produce.
Horace Thomas was born on the farm he now occupies, was married in 1835, and is now seventy years of age.
Stephen White, from Clarendon, Vt., located upon the farm now owned by his son, Artemas W., in 1795, where he died in 1842, aged seventy-four years.
Asahel Martin located upon the place he now occupies, in 1822, and is now eighty-two years of age.
Ellery Howard, born in Winchester Co., Vt., in 1787, came to Salisbury in 1806, and started a cloth-dressing establishment, and subsequently a saw- mill and hotel. He was afterward extensively engaged in farming, and served the town as justice of the peace. He died in 1866, aged eighty-five years. Keros K. is the only one of a large family of children now living in the town, aged fifty-eight years.
James Gipson, from Fitchburgh, Mass., came to Salisbury in 1809, locating in the west part of the town. Mr. Gipson and his wife are now living in Salisbury village, aged respectively ninety-one and eighty-nine years-the oldest people in town.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, located at West Salisbury, was organized by the Rev. Mr. Mitchell in 1799, and Messrs. Hurd and Harvey officiated as first pastors. The church building, which will accommodate two hundred persons, was erected in 1839, at a cost of $2,000.00. The whole property is now valued at $2,500.00.
The Congregational Church of Salisbury village, was organized by Revs. J. Bushnell and Benjamin Worcester, with nine members, February 8, 1804. Rev. Rufus Pomeroy was installed first pastor. During the year of its or- ganization, the society built a church which did service till 1836, when the present structure took its place. The building will seat 250 persons and cost $3,600.00, and is now valued, including grounds and legacies left the society, at $8,560.00. The records now show 108 members, with Rev. Truman A. Merrill, pastor.
S HOREHAM, a lake town in the southwestern part of the county, in lat. 43° 53', and long. 3º 45', bounded north by Bridport, east by Cornwall and Whiting, south by Orwell, and west by Lake Champlain, was granted by the Province of New Hampshire to Col. Ephraim Doolittle and sixty-three associates, the charter, signed by Benning Wentworth, bearing date October S, 1761, an earlier period than that of any town west of the Green Mountains lying north of Castleton. It has an area of 26,319 acres, the surface being low and moderately rolling, the highest point, the Pinnacle, lying a little east of the centre of the town, having an elevation of only 500
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TOWN OF SHOREHAM.
feet above the level of the lake. Cream Hill, so named from its remarkable fertility, lies a mile east of the lake in the north part of the town, and a little to the east of it Mutton Hill, and in the south part of the town Barnum's Hill, forming the principal elevations. Along the lake shore the soil is gen- erally a strong, fertile clay, which is, indeed, the characteristic of most of the land of the township that has an elevation of less than 150 feet above the lake level. About a mile east of the lake the land rises in a range of low hills composed of the Utica and Hudson River Slate formation and cov- ered with a strong loamy soil, very productive, furnishing some of the finest farms in New England. Next to this range, and about three miles from the lake, the surface is cut into ridges of Hudson River and Eolian limestone, interspersed with some ledges of Red sandrock, causing the land to be rough and stony and unfit for cultivation, but valuable for the wood and timber it furnishes. Extending south from the north part of the town, between Cream and Mutton Hills, nearly to the centre of the township, is what is called the Great Swamp, containing seven hundred acres mostly covered with a dense growth of pine, black-ash and cedar timber. In some of the valleys, there is a rich alluvial soil, composed in a great part of decayed vegetable matter, which produces a great growth of corn ; the other products are, wheat, bar- ley, oats, rye, buckwheat, potatoes, hay, sugar, wool, and products of the dairy.
The principle stream is Lemon Fair River, entering the southeastern part of the town, and flowing a serpentine course northerly into Bridport. Beaver Brook, in the eastern part of the town unites with the Lemon Fair. Jones' Branch rises near the centre of the town and flows south into Orwell. Birchard's Creek rises in the north part of the Great Swamp and flows a northwesterly course into Bridport. These, with their tributaries, are the largest, though there are numerous streams of minor importance that serve to drain or irrigate the land. They contain many excellent mill-sites, many of which are occupied by mills for the manufacture of lumber, shingles, etc., the most common tim- ber being pine, oak, maple, beech, ash, basswood, elin, tamarack and cedar.
In the east part of the town is a bed of iron ore of moderate proportions, which was formerly worked to some extent, but was abandoned, we believe, on account of the great amount of sulphur it contained. Lime, of a superior quality, has also been manufactured at different periods. In the west part of the town, near Larrabee's Point, a beautiful quality of black marble is found, said to be, in some cases, equal to the famous Irish marble.
The Addison branch of the C. V. R. R., passes across the southeast corner of the town, thence into Orwell, entering Shoreham again in the western part of the town, where it crosses the lake.
In 1880, Shoreham had a population of 1,354, was divided into thirteen school districts and had thirteen common schools, employing two male and ten female teachers, at an aggregate salary of $1,760.10. There were 289 pupils attending common school and the whole cost of the schools for the
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TOWN OF SHOREHAM.
year ending October 31st, was $1,955.15, with Thurman Brookins, superintendent.
SHOREHAM, a post village situated in the central part of the town, contains one store, one hotel, two blacksmith shops, a wagon shop, three churches (Cong., Catholic and Universalist), Newton Academy, and about forty dwell- ings. The Academy is the property of the town and under the charge of three trustees, appointed by the town. It has an average attendance of about 120 pupils, with three terms of school each year, employing, ordinari- ally, four teachers. During the past three years it has been conducted in a very successful manner by Mr. A. B. Cole. A soldiers' monument, erected by the town at a cost of $2,200.00, is situated at this village.
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